ENDLESS WIRE - THE WHO
The question “Who Are You?” has never been more apt when it comes to the Who, or what’s left of it. Shorn of the fury provided by the late Keith Moon and John Entwistle, what is now effectively the Townshend-Daltrey Band wisely diverges from many of the Who’s sonic trademarks on its first album in 24 years. While the Who’s acoustic side has always been underappreciated, Townshend revels in it here, particularly on the rootsy “Two Thousand Years” and the stark “Man in a Purple Dress.” “Fragments” begins with a synth tattoo similar to “Baba O’Riley,” while the 10-part “mini-opera” “Wire & Glass,” oblique lyricism aside, sports a cache of catchy ideas for those who crave the band’s electric side. “Are we leaving life or moving in?” Daltrey sings in “Fragments,” but the real answer is that they’re moving on — just as they should. Billboard
